Diploma of Leadership and Management

The Diploma of Leadership and Management at Kensington International College is a one-and-a-half-year course for people who want to run teams, projects and day-to-day operations. It sits at the diploma level on the Australian Qualifications Framework, which puts it above a certificate IV and below an associate degree. You study how to plan and monitor work, lead a team, manage budgets and resources, build relationships with clients and stakeholders, and handle the operational problems that come up in any organisation. Assessment is practical. You work through case studies, role plays and workplace-style tasks rather than sitting long written exams.

How the course is structured

Australian diplomas are made up of units of study, each with a set number of credit points, delivered across trimesters or semesters. Kensington International College runs this diploma over 1.5 years, so you have time to build skills instead of cramming them. Core units cover leadership, operational planning, workplace relationships and financial management. Electives let you lean towards areas such as customer service, risk or project work. Because it is a diploma, there is no research thesis or honours year. The final stage usually pulls your learning together through a work-based project where you apply what you have studied to a real organisation.

Skills you finish with

You leave able to write an operational plan and track it, lead a team through change, manage a budget, and deal with conflict and performance issues. You also learn to communicate with people at different levels, from frontline staff to senior managers. These are the skills employers ask for when they promote someone into a supervisor or team leader role. The course is taught in Australia, and international students on a Student visa can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while studying, which is a good way to pick up local workplace experience alongside the diploma.

Who it suits

This diploma suits people already working in a supervisory or team leader role who want a formal qualification, career changers moving into management, and international students who want a practical Australian qualification without committing to a full bachelor degree. It also works as a pathway: after finishing, you may be able to get credit towards a bachelor degree in business or management, depending on the receiving institution's rules. Entry normally requires completion of Year 12 or equivalent. International applicants need to show English proficiency, commonly IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and the college's own English programmes accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa itself. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 104409K, so check there and on the official page for current fees, intake dates and unit details.

• Team leader or supervisor, retail, hospitality, logistics, manufacturing and community services organisations across Australia.
• Office or operations manager, small and medium businesses, professional services firms and government agencies.
• Project coordinator, construction, events, IT and marketing teams that need someone to track schedules, budgets and stakeholders.
• Customer service manager, banks, insurers, telcos and contact centres.
• Business development officer, sales and partnerships roles in Australian companies.
• Administration manager, health clinics, schools, not-for-profits and local councils.

Graduates often move into these roles and then use the diploma as credit towards a bachelor degree in business or management. International graduates may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream, which lets you stay and work in Australia after your course ends. Check the Department of Home Affairs website for current eligibility rules.